Tianjin [China], August 31 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit here on Sunday, as part of his two-day official visit to the country.

PM Modi, who is currently in the second leg of his two-nation visit, arrived at Binhai International Airport in Tianjin on Saturday to participate in the 25th SCO Heads of State Council summit, taking place from August 31 to September 1. He arrived in China after his two-day visit to Japan. Following his arrival on Saturday, the Prime Minister received a warm welcome, with artists staging a dance performance.

He is also scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during the course of the summit.

The SCO summit is crucial for India, as it comes after the US' 50 per cent tariffs took effect. Of these, a 25 per cent tariff was imposed on New Delhi for buying Russian crude oil.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with the host, Chinese President Xi Jinping, will also be attending the summit.

The SCO comprises 10 members. In addition to India, they include Belarus, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. There are also several dialogue partners and observers. India has been a member of the SCO since 2017, having been an observer since 2005.

During its membership period, India has held the chair of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in 2020 and of the SCO Council of Heads of State from 2022 to 2023.

This will be PM Modi's first visit to China following the Galwan Valley clashes in 2020.

Recently, India and China have taken multiple steps to smooth their bilateral relationship, including the resumption of trade through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, Shipki La Pass in Himachal Pradesh, and Nathu La Pass in Sikkim.

During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit on August 18 and August 19, both sides agreed to resume direct flight connectivity between the Chinese mainland and India at the earliest and finalise an updated Air Services Agreement. They also agreed on the facilitation of visas for tourists, businesses, media and other visitors in both directions.

Both sides agreed to uphold multilateralism, enhance communication on major international and regional issues, maintain a rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, and promote a multipolar world that safeguards the interests of developing countries. (ANI)